Predestined
by tillypenn
Summary: A time travel story about finding something that was there all along. Hermione travels back to the marauders time and finds out what she really has been fighting for all along
1. Chapter 1

When we pull apart he stares into my eyes, and I feel like I could get lost in those gorgeous grey pools, my lips still tingling as well as other parts of my body. He smiles his slow, seductive smile and I feel myself melting, ad then, my brain catches up with me and I realise what I'm doing. So I do the only thing I can think of, I slap his face and run away.

I can't believe this is happening, how did my life get to be like this. I mean fair enough, it was never any picnic, being best friends with the boy who lived, living in a time of war and trying to get two boys who are prime candidates of ADHD to at least try to complete their homework and not just get me to do it, but I could deal with all that, really I could. However two months ago my life completely spiralled out of control when I tripped over and fell, only to land 24 years in the past.

I was in the room of requirement, the place where everything is hidden, mainly looking for a place to hide. Professor Dumbledore had just died and I was allowing myself a moment of panic before going to Harry. I knew that the time to act was here, Professor Dumbledore was the only thing standing between Voldemort and the fall of the wizarding world, and then the fall of the muggle world. I remember the panic winning and me just sat on a stack of old newspapers wishing that I had lived in a happier time where the threat of death eaters wasn't as imminent. It didn't take me long to get myself back together, ready to face the world again. I stood up and started for the door but I didn't notice the full school satchel on the floor, I tripped over it and fell flat on my face, I reached out to grab something to push myself back up. My hand grabbed hold of a smooth, oval shaped item, and then I felt a lurch a little like a portkey, but I didn't feel like I was moving any distance, it really was very strange. Then I felt another lurch and everything seemed normal again. I waited a few seconds before standing up then I got to my feet. Taking a look around the room I noticed that it looked slightly different, it seemed as though they wasn't as much stuff, but it wasn't a lot less, just slight noticeably less. I was confused. I headed for the door.

That was it, that was how I ended up in this time. I didn't realise it straight away, it took a strange meeting with Professor McGonagall who had no idea who I was, and then a trip to see the very much alive Professor Dumbledore, which was a very interesting meeting to say the least.

After I had managed to convince him I was trustworthy and confided in him that I was from the future, the conversation turned to more practical things.

'Well Miss Granger, obviously the knowledge you possess is very dangerous.'

'Yes Sir'

'I believe the safest course of action is to limit your interaction with anyone from this time to a minimum.'

'I agree Sir. Perhaps lock me in a room here at Hogwarts, I can use my time to research a way to get back to my own time.'

'Yes, that may be the wisest decision, however I cannot agree'

'Why not Sir?

Professor Dumbledore leaned forward.

'As prudent as your idea sounds, I cannot help but think that you do not deserve to be locked in room.'

'But professor I have fore knowledge,'

'Yes, which you realise is very dangerous'

'Even if I do realise this and make a conscious effort not reveal anything, things may slip out'

'Maybe they are supposed to.'

'Sir,' I am shocked and my emotion slips into my voice. 'How can you even suggest that, the future should not be known.'

'Now Miss Granger, calm down. I am not suggesting that you tell anyone of the future, I am merely expressing the fact that the future you know may have already been shaped by you being in this time, a pre-destinational paradox I believe the term is.'

'There is no proof of that'

'There is no proof of either Miss Granger.'

'No, but still, I must insist on my chosen plan of action.'

'Alas, I cannot agree, in the absence of proof I believe we must act as our conscience and beliefs allow, and I cannot agree to any course of action that will leave a young witch all alone for an untold amount of time.'

I look into his eyes and see that no matter what I say I won't win.

'But Sir, what if I do something wrong?'

'Hermione, you must believe in yourself, as you have already inspired me to.'

That was it, the argument was over. Professor Dumbledore decided that I would be a student. The school year was about to begin (I had missed out on summer break, but I did not feel that this was the biggest thing to worry about) and I would be placed in sixth year again. As it was unknown when I would be able to return to my own time, Professor Dumbledore decided that it would be best if I were able to complete all the work needed for my NEWT's just in case. I was to remain a Gryffindor and live in the dorm with everyone else.

My cover story for suddenly attending Hogwarts was that I was a transfer students whose parents had bee killed by Deatheater wannabes and as such Professor Dumbledore, who was a family friend, had taken responsibility for me.

Clothes, books and school equipment were all procured for me so that everything was ready for me to start life as a student of Hogwarts again on September 1st.

As cautious as I was, I really had no idea of what I was letting myself in for.


	2. Chapter 2

I run up to Gryffindor tower, quickly shouting 'grindleknut' to the fat lady, through the common room and up to the sixth year girls dorm. Its empty when I get there so I just throw myself on my bed and bury my head in the pillow.

The next thing I hear is the sound of the dormitory door opening and closing, then I hear footsteps padding over to my bed before feeling it dip downs someone sits next to me.

'Hermione, whats wrong?' Lily Evans concerned voice reaches my ears.

I just shake my head, not saying a word. I feel her hands reaching my shoulder and gently start to prise me away from my pillow. I turn around and look her in the eyes.

'Aw Hermione, what's wrong? You look like the world's about to end.'

'I've done something really stupid'

'What?'

'Sirius'

'Sirius?' She looks shocked. 'You mean that pranking pratt Sirius Black?'

I just nod.

'You've done Sirius Black, ewww, I mean ick , yucky eww. How could you? I mean yea, he is popular and that long hair is always, like, clean and he, ok, he has an alright smile I guess, I mean his teeth look alright. But he's Sirius Black, I mean that spiteful, rule breaking, nice smelling, pillock. You did him? Like did him did him?'

Whilst she is going through her little tirade I calm down, almost forgetting what I was upset about, just staring at her when she finishes.

'Hermione? You did him?'

'Gods Lily, I kissed him, that's all. No actual doing took place.'

'Well you said….'

'I know what I said, and I also know what you said,' I raise my eyebrows at her.

'What?' She asks trying to look all innocent.

'Well from what I heard, I now know why you are always turning James down, he is not the marauder you fantasise about'

'Ugh, don't you start using that ridiculous nickname for those idiots'

I giggle a little and then groan and flop back down on the bed.

'Come on Mione, I need gossip'

I look up at her and roll my eyes.

'That's the best you got, your supposed to be a friend trying to help me through my pain, not after idle gossip.'

'Talking heals Hermione, everyone knows that,' she sounds coy.

'Ok, okay, we were in an empty classroom on the third, arguing about that prank he played on the Slytherin fourth years, you know the one whilst they were in potions?' Lily nods. 'Yea so we are arguing and it was pretty intense. He called me a know it all, unimaginative little witch who has no concept of fun or laughing or anything else, who is just going to end up an old squib like maid with no friends, who won't have had a shag her entire life.'

'And you kissed him after that?' Lily asks looking confused.

'No I slapped him after that. And the I went to slap him again, but he caught my arm in his hand, and I don't know, for some reason it made me stop, made us stop, and it felt strange, kind of tingly in my stomach, and we looked at each other and we kissed.'

'Wow it sounds kind of romantic, I mean except for the insults and violence.'

'Yeah I guess, until we stopped kissing, I slapped him again and ran away'

'What? Hermione Why?'

'Why do you think Lily? It's Sirius Black'

'I know, but….'

'but nothing, you said it all with eww and ick.'

'Yea, I know, well he's not exactly the boy I would chose, but come on, there is obviously heat there.'

I just look at her.

'Hermione, really, what's going on?'

'All we do is argue.'

'And have sexy kissing sessions.'

'One kiss,' I reprove

'One sexy, hot kiss, with added chemistry, probably why you argue all the time.'

'Oh come on Lils.'

'Hermione, why not go and find him?'

'Lils, me and him, we're not supposed to be together, I can't explain it, I just know it.'

'Mione…..'

'I'm just tired Lils, can you let me sleep?'

I smile at her, she nods, gets up and leaves me alone. I lie there knowing that sleep just isn't coming tonight.

The hardest part about all this is that Lily's right when she says that there's chemistry between me and Sirius. There is. I hoped there wasn't going to be, I hoped that he wouldn't notice me, I mean, I know I am nothing special, just a mousy brown, bushy haired girl. I don't see a lie in the mirror, I see me in all my imperfect glory.

I noticed him, the first time I saw him walk into the great hall, for the welcome feast. I was already sat down, Professor McGonagall had introduced me to Lily Evans and Alice Whitsun, who were both very friendly and we were chatting quite amicably, when I heard someone shouting, 'Evans, my one true love, are you ready to set the date?' We all looked around I did a double take, for a second I thought I was looking at Harry, until I realised that I was actually looking at his father, James Potter, Lily told him to bog off and then I heard him, Sirius Black, he said something to James about how Lily must be warming up to the idea because she hadn't hexed him, Lily just rolled her eyes, turned back to us and started talking, but I wasn't listening, I couldn't believe that this boy was the same person as the man I remember, I for one couldn't remember him being this, well for want of a better word, hot. He was gorgeous, a tall lean body, his black hair was long, reaching below his shoulders, and thick, such a lovely shade of black, yes apparently black has shades now, his face was , well, just wow, a beautiful smile and the most amazing grey eyes I have ever seen, so alive and sparkling. He noticed me staring at him and he gave m a wink, I quickly turned my head away and tried to get back into the conversation with the girls, but my mind was too busy thinking about just how sexy Sirius really was.

From that moment I knew I was gone, I wanted him and there was no possible way I could have him. I took solace in the fact that at least he would never want me, so there wasn't really a problem.

Apparently though, it seems that I was wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning I avoided the Great Hall for breakfast, I just had no idea how I was going to deal with Sirius, so I took the cowards option and decided to just go straight to class, knowing that that would severely restrict the possible time we could interact.

First period, the Gryffindors had transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs. I was the first one there and I sat on a desk at the front, knowing there was no chance the marauders would sit anywhere near me. I was reading a chapter in my advanced transfiguration text book when the chair scraped out next to me and Lily sat down, which was strange in itself because she usually sat with Alice Prewitt, a sister Gryffindor. She handed me a blueberry muffin which I gratefully took and started to eat.

'Your not going to avoid every meal are you, because I really don't think you will be able to live off the meagre portions I will be able to bring you?' She asks me.

'No, I just needed time to work up the courage.' I tell her.

'Right, and sitting at the very front?'

'I enjoy this lesson' I tell her, which is not a complete lie, I do like the lesson.

'Hermione'

'Still working up the courage Lils'

Sirius and James as per usual didn't get to the classroom until Professor McGonagall had already started the lesson. Which meant that my plan to avoid them had successfully worked.

It later transpired that I needn't have bothered. Sirius was acting as if nothing had even happened.

When we were leaving transfiguration at the end of the lesson, James and Sirius were waiting outside. This was nothing strange, as he always tried to walk Lily to her next lesson, which of course Lily was having none of. I worked up the courage to look Sirius in the eyes and he winked at me and then walked away, which he has done a lot of times, I mean a lot, so it's not like the wink meant anything. I mean even if I thought it did for a very short amount of time, I was soon dispelled of that thought when I saw him getting very cosy with Melanie Short, a gorgeous Muggle Born Ravenclaw from our year, on the way to lunch.

'Hermione, what's wrong?' Lily asked when I slammed down on the bench for lunch.

'Nothing' I say as I start to fill my plate with as much food as I can.

'Has this got anything to do with the fact that Black seems to be forgoing a traditional lunch and dining on that Ravenclaw's tonsils over there?' She asks looking out through the doors of the Great Hall.

'No'

'Are you sure, it was just yesterday…'

'that two people that don't really like each other, that have nothing in common made a mistake, and it's not like it was a big deal I mean obviously it wasn't even memorable and it definitely can't have been any good, I mean not that anyone would have even thought for a minute that it might have meant something, because come on …' I trail off, looking around to make sure no one overheard our conversation, but we had been talking in hushed voices so we were ok.

'Hermione…'

I looked at her, and I don't know what she saw in my eyes, but she trailed off and then started talking about the spell we had been practising in transfiguration.

I don't know why I was getting upset, this was the best possible outcome. There is no way that anything can develop between me and Sirius, we are from different times, different worlds. The Sirius that I had known had spent too many years at the mercy of the dementors, serving time for a crime he had not committed, being treated as the offender when he was in mourning for his best friend. I see it now, I look at him, at him and James and I see how close they are, how close they were. No wonder the Sirius I had known always looked so desolate. When I look at the young version of him I have to keep reminding myself that the Sirius I know is dead, that it will do me no good to fall for him, to get close to him, because when I get back to my own time, he won't be there and I will have to grieve for him in silence because I won't be able to tell the others.

So for all these reasons I tell myself that it is a good thing that the kiss obviously meant nothing to him, logically I know I should be happy but I'm just not.

It is a week since I kissed Sirius and he just keeps acting like it never happened. I am okay with that, I really am.

It's after midnight and I'm sat in the common room working on an essay for history of magic about the troll war of 1216.

'Granger, has anyone ever told you there is more to life than textbooks and parchment' Sirius slurs.

He has just come through the portrait and he's drunk.

'It's homework, it needs to be done'

He walks up to me and leans over my shoulder, his breath smells of an odd mix of firewhisky and peppermint.

'That's not due till next week'

'I like to be on top of things' I tell him, caught in his gaze. He just smirks.

'Where have you been?' I know I should be trying to get away from him as quick as possible, but I don't want to.

'Why do you want to know? So you can grass on me?'

'No' my gaze drops, 'Just making conversation'

'I was on a date, I snuck bottle of Firewhisky from Hogsmede and took her up the astronomy tower'

I feel a strange feeling, like my stomach dropping, and I know that I definitely need to get away from this conversation, but for some reason I seem to want to torture myself and find myself asking who is date was with.

'Melanie Short, you know the witch from….'

'Ravenclaw, yea I know, she's very pretty.'

'Pretty? Hermione she's gorgeous, I mean I don't think I have ever seen anyone that …'

'Beautiful right? You know your right, I should probably call it a night on this essay, I have got a while to complete it' I stand and start to walk off but he grabs hold of my hand.

'For your information I wasn't going to say beautiful because there is someone who I think is more beautiful than her, more than any other girl.' he's looking straight into my eyes.

I swallow and ask him what he was going to say, he's standing so close

'Tempting, the clothes she wears, the make up, the way she does her hair, it's all very tempting'

It feels like a sucker punch to the stomach, and yet he is getting closer

'You had fun then?' I ask, he closes the remaining distance between us until he is kissing me and I am kissing back. He wraps his arms around my waist and I loop mine around his neck. The kiss feels urgent, like we both need to feel each other, it lasts for a while, I honestly don't know how long.

We separate and he tells me it was okay but she really is just all packaging before he walks away. It takes me a couple of second before I realise he had just answered my question, but I really didn't understand what he meant.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't sleep much at all that night. I toss and turn. I can't get him out of my head. I try to make myself stop thinking about him, filling my head with thoughts of Ronald, after all we kind of had something starting before I left, but it is not enough, what was happening with Ron felt nothing like what I am going through now. It's not fair. Who does he think he is, going on dates with girls and then kissing me. I am not stupid, I know he is just playing with me. The man I remember was brave and true, and this version of him, this teenage version of him, is a pratt and a ladies man, trading on the fact that all the girls want him. The fact that I want him. I keep wondering what game he is playing with me, I mean he can't actually be interested in me, not when so many gorgeous girls are falling over his feet, but when we kiss. It feels so real, so amazing and it makes me want more. It makes me want what I can't have.

The other girls start moving in my dorm and I realise that it is morning. I get up and go through to the bathroom. When I look in the mirror I see that I have big black circles round my eyes, no matter what Sirius insinuates I am definitely not beautiful today.

'Don't worry, we can fix those' I startle when I hear those word come from behind me, turning around I realise that Alice has came into the room.

'Didn't sleep that well' I tell her in a light voice, but don't expand on the why, she just shrugs and casts a charm on my face, I look back in the mirror and I look bright as a button.

'Though you might need coffee to make sure you don't fall asleep in class' she glibly remarks.

HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB

'Lily, maybe it's time you give him a chance' Alice tells her.

'He is so immature'

'I think the word you were looking for was sweet'

Lily just glares at Alice

'It was sweet, Lils. Don't you think so Herms.'

'I thought we agreed to not call me that.' I say while buttering a slice of toast.

We are sat in the great hall, and James has just produced a bunch of flowers out of thin air, got down on one knee and asked Lily to go to Hogsmede with him at the weekend. To which Lily rolled her eyes and walked away.

'But your name is soooo long, I can't be expected to say it all at this time of the day.'

I just shake my head and take a bite of my toast.

'And it was sweet, wasn't it' She looks at me and I nod my head.

'No it wasn't, it was childish and humiliating'

'For him, not for you. And it wouldn't have been if you had said yes'

'Yea well I didn't so enough said' Lily told her with finality in her voice. Then she changed the conversation and we made small talk whilst finishing breakfast.

HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB

'Good evening Miss Granger, thank you for coming' Professor Dumbledore said to me when I entered his office.

'Anytime Professor'

He gestures for me to take a seat and I do.

'I suppose you are wondering why I called you here.'

'Yes Sir' hoping that he has found a way to send me back to my own time.

'I am afraid I am about to disappoint you, but I have not been able to find a way to return you to your own time yet, my dear.'

'Oh'

'No I am sorry. I have called you here to see if you have any more information with which to guide me'

'I don't think so, I believe I have told you everything.'

'You say that when you grabbed hold of an object you felt something akin to a portkey?'

'Yes Sir, it was small and oval, smooth.'

'And you have not been able to find it since?'

'No I have looked and looked, but I haven't been able to find it.'

'Do you have any idea why you were brought to this time specifically?'

'No Sir'

'Do you remember what you were thinking when you touched it'

I think back, 'my leg was sore, I had just tripped over a bag or something, so I was thinking, ow, I guess'

'I believe that it is safe to say that that thought had no bearing on how you ended up here'

'What exactly is the thinking behind these questions Professor?'

'I am trying to determine whether the item that brought you here was pre-programmed like an actual portkey or thought activated. Please Miss Granger, think carefully, was there at any point in the run up to you touching this object were you thinking of a particular time frame or period?'

'mmmm,' I think hard, and something comes back to me. 'Actually I do remember thinking about how I wished I was in a different time, something terrible had happened and I, just for a second, wished I was back in a time when things were simpler, when death eaters weren't the great threat they were in my time'

'Ah'

'Do you think that's something Sir, I mean I only thought the thought for a second, and it doesn't really refer to this time period, the death eaters are dangerous, and they are out there killing.'

'Exactly Miss Granger, they are out there, the threat is not so imminent'

'But, they are still a threat'

'Still, this has indeed given me food for thought, though I will need time to think this through.'

'Yes Sir'

'I believe it is getting quite late Miss Granger, and perhaps tonight, more than usual you need your bed, hmm'

I look at him and suddenly feel very exposed, like his piercing blue eyes see right through me.

'Sir?'

'Ah to be a teenager again. Never forget Miss Granger, these years don't last forever, now is the time for impulsiveness and making mistakes.'

'I am a time traveller Sir, I need to be careful in all that I do.'

'Maybe not everything, just enough'

'Sir?'

'Night Miss Granger.'

'Night Sir'


	5. Chapter 5

'We've got to stop meeting like this'

It's late, the common room is empty, or at least it was until I heard that voice.

'You just getting back Sirius?'

'Yep.' He drops down in the chair next to me. 'Watcha reading?'

'Pride and Prejudice.'

He nods but I can tell that that means nothing to him.

'It's a muggle novel, one of my favourites.'

He nods again and gives me a slight smile. I can tell something is wrong.

'What's the matter?'

'Nothing'

I raise my eyebrow at him.

'Regulus'

'You two had another argument?'

'No…yea…. It's just that he's headed down the wrong path'

'Ah'

'Yea, won't be long now and he will be a fully fledged evil minion'

'Sirius…..' I don't know what to say, I mean what can I say, I know that it does happen, he does become a death eater. It is just in the future, when Sirius mentions his brother it is in a kind of throw away remark, seeing it happening first hand it's different.

'I just… he's my brother you know, my kid brother, I should be looking out for him, I should be protecting him.'

'Sirius, sometimes people just don't want saving.'

'So what, you saying I should just give up on him?' he squares his shoulders.

'Nope, he is your brother, I don't think you will ever give up on him, but as hard as this is I think you need to realise that this is one of them times where you can't just show up and make everything ok.'

'But…. Mione… he's my brother, why can't I just show up and save him.'

'Because you can't save him from himself, for whatever reason he has chosen this,'

'You can't be on his side' Sirius states, looking at me incredulously.

'I'm not, that's why I am not joining up'

He looks at me with resignation in his eyes. He looks so tired, so weary that I do the only thing I am capable of at that moment, I wrap my arms around him and rest my head against his.

We sit there like that for a long time before Sirius jokes, 'If I knew that this is all it would have taken to get your arms around me I would have broken down a long time ago.'

'You have hardly broken down Sirius, I don't think I have counted one tear.'

'Hah, I think that I have lost enough of my masculinity in your eyes already without adding blubbering to it.'

'I don't know, I think a man who feels comfortable enough to show his emotions in that way is kinda sexy.'

He lets out a laugh and then pulls out of our embrace. He looks me in the eye 'Actually I think that right now you need a strong guy that makes you feel safe.'

I break eye contact and look down to gather strength. 'I'm not weak'

'I never said you were, but things are coming Hermione, and we all need someone, even you'

'Wow, that's profound, coming from you' I try to lighten the mood, not ready for where this conversation is talking us.

'Well my name is Sirius' He smiles and I lightly slap his arm.

He starts to move away, but I grab for him. He looks at me expectantly.

'Look I can't speculate about the future, but right now I could really do with a strong guy to make me feel safe.'

He smiles at me.

'Can you, um …. Can you just hold me?'

He doesn't say anything, he just wraps his arms around me, and for the first time in a long time I decide to worry about the consequences tomorrow and fall asleep in the arms of the guy that I really like.


End file.
